Gastroenteritis (cont.)

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

In this Article

• Gastroenteritis (stomach flu) facts
• What is gastroenteritis (stomach flu)?
• What causes gastroenteritis?
• Clostridum difficile as a cause of gastroenteritis
• What are gastroenteritis symptoms?
• Is gastroenteritis contagious?
• Is gastroenteritis a serious illness?
• How does food get contaminated with gastroenteritis viruses?
• Who is at risk of gastroenteritis?
• When should the doctor be called for gastroenteritis?
• How is gastroenteritis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for gastroenteritis?
• What are gastroenteritis complications?
• Can gastroenteritis be prevented?
• What is the prognosis of gastroenteritis?
• Summer Food Safety FAQs
• Patient Comments: Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu) - Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu) - Effective Treatments
• Patient Comments: Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu) - Diagnosis
• Find a local Gastroenterologist in your town
• Gastroenteritis Index

Because gastroenteritis, as defined above, usually runs a limited course and resolves on its own without professional or medical treatment, and most people will not need to contact a doctor. However, if a person begins to show signs of dehydration, especially if the person is unwilling or unable to adequately rehydrate orally at home, medical care should be sought. Signs and symptoms of dehydration may include:

• decreased or no urine production,
• dry mucus membranes,
• dry mouth or skin,
• inability to produce tears,
• weakness,
• lightheadedness, and
• low blood pressure.

If gastroenteritis symptoms last for more than about 5 days, or there is an increase in the severity (fever of 101 F or higher, bloody diarrhea, dehydration, constant abdominal pain) or the development of other symptoms, the affected individual should seek medical care. The person may have had gastroenteritis symptoms, but may have a disease more serious gastroenteritis that does not run a limited course, and does not resolve without professional or medical treatment.

Gastroenteritis is most often presumptively diagnosed simply by the symptoms. Because gastroenteritis is a disease that usually runs a limited course that resolves on its own without medical treatment, the large majority of patients are never seen or diagnosed by a health care professional. There are no specific tests for gastroenteritis. However, during outbreaks like those seen on cruise ships, viral and bacterial cultures or PCR and other immunologically-based tests can identify the causative pathogen. However, by the time this identification occurs, most of the patients have begun to recover. When gastroenteritis symptoms become severe, most public health officials and clinicians run such tests to identify the causative agent based on the pateint's history, physical exam, and symptoms.